THE quickening pace of the foot and mouth cull in North Wales has brought heartache for a sheep farmer.

Eifion Edwards' worst fears were confirmed this week his 400-strong flock need not have been slaughtered.

He purchased 39 head of stock from Welshpool market, part of which has been connected with foot and mouth.

MAFF vets at first ordered the slaughter of all sheep and lambs that had been traded at the mart, only to review the policy later and limit the cull to livestock that had passed through the cull ewe section.

Mr Edwards, of Dade Farm, Treuddyn, bought his sheep from the store sheep section, which has now been given the all-clear by MAFF.

But the ruling came too late as Mr Edwards's entire stock had been culled days earlier.

'This means my sheep need not have been slaughtered, which I find shocking,' he said.

'This is a real mix-up by MAFF. There is utter confusion and I have lost my sheep due to a blunder by officials. They did not even bother to carry out blood tests, which would have shown my sheep were perfectly healthy.' Several Powys farmers who bought livestock at Welshpool from the store sheep section at the same time as Mr Edwards were more fortunate.

The foot and mouth cull in their county is proceeding at a much slower pace than in North Wales, so their sheep had not been slaughtered by the time MAFF had lifted the slaughter rule on the store sheep section of Welshpool market.

Steve Lewis, who is employed at Welshpool market. said: 'I can confirm the sheep Mr Edwards purchased never went near the cull ewe section.

'He has been extremely unlucky. He bought his sheep from the store sheep section, which has now been given the all-clear.

'It appears they were slaughtered before MAFF made the decision. Powys farmers who bought sheep at the same time as Mr Edwards were luckier the cull had not started when the D-notice on the store sheep section of the market was lifted.' The fact Mr Edwards' Welshpool purchases condemned the rest of his 400-strong flock including some pedigree prizewinners - is still making him angry.

He has asked the National Farmers' Union to investigate.

A National Assembly spokeswoman said all sheep thought to have passed through the cull ewe section of Welshpool market had been culled as a precaution in the fight to eradicate foot and mouth.

'It's obvious my livestock were fit and healthy and what's worrying me now is that my reputation as a sheep breeder has been damaged,' added Mr Edwards.